E-E-A-T
Last updated: March 2025
Definition
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. Google's framework for evaluating content quality. Not a ranking factor you optimize directly, but a lens Google's quality raters use. Pages from people with real experience in a topic get preferred over generic content farms.
Why It Matters
Google increasingly favors content from people who've actually done the thing they're writing about. A guide on cold email from someone who's sent 50,000 emails ranks better than one written by a content writer who Googled the topic. E-E-A-T is Google's bullshit filter.
How to Improve
- Add author bios with real credentials and experience to every article. Link to LinkedIn profiles or portfolios.
- Include first-person examples and original data. 'When we tested this with 200 campaigns' beats 'studies show.'
- Get published on reputable sites in your industry. External mentions build the Authoritativeness signal.
- Keep content updated. Stale advice from 2019 fails the Trustworthiness test. Review and refresh every six months.